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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291923">Before The Fireplace</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinLily/pseuds/PumpkinLily'>PumpkinLily</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cabin Fic, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Gift Fic, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Romantic Fluff, soft boyfriends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:02:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,881</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291923</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinLily/pseuds/PumpkinLily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of moments between soft boyfriends Roger and John, spending a weekend in a warm and cosy cabin for Christmas.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Deacon/Roger Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Clog Factory Happy Holidays Fic Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Before The Fireplace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyYara/gifts">IvyYara</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! This fic is part of a Holiday fic exchange event, and is for IvyYara. This is Dealor (not my usual ship), I hope you'll like what I've written 😇 On another note, merry Christmas everybody 🥳 and happy holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas 😊! </p><p>❤ Have a good read! ❤</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Don’t you think we should do something nice?”</p><p>John looked up, his mouth full of pasta. “What?”</p><p>“The fireplace. How ‘bout we start a fire and just, relax in front of it?”</p><p>“Oh that’d be great.” After hours in the car, they’d had to unpack their stuff and cook diner – rather he cooked diner, as Roger wasn’t really motivated after driving for so long. “Being able to finally sit down and do nothing sounds really nice.”</p><p>Roger let out an approving “mmh” and gobbled the rest of his food before running to the fireplace. A long tinsel of glittering snowflakes and stars decorated the mantle, along with a few thick red candles. Simple but pretty.</p><p>Roger placed logs in the firebox with an enthusiasm John didn’t think one could have to make a fire. The distinct sound of the burning match resonated in the quiet of the room and quickly enough, the first flames, small but promising nonetheless, appeared behind the glass panel. A victorious smile grew on Roger’s face as he turned towards his boyfriend.</p><p>John fondly smiled in turn. “Perfect. Now I believe the dishes are waiting for you.”</p><p>“But- I lit the fire!”</p><p>“Like a real caveman, congrats.” John commented while putting their plates and cutlery in the sink. “Look, if you do the dishes, I’ll prepare hot chocolates.”</p><p>Roger’s eyes opened wider now he was talking his language. “…With whipped cream?”</p><p>“With whipped cream, and everything you want in it.”</p><p>In a flash, he was by the sink, his sleeves rolled up, already scrubbing a first plate. John smiled again and pecked him on the temple before opening the wooden cupboard to retrieve the mugs.</p><p> </p><p>**-***-**</p><p> </p><p>“This is <em>perfect</em>.”</p><p>What could be the embodiment of perfection? Two plaids on a rug – it was large, but too thin and not soft enough for their taste – and a mountain of fluffy cushions? Yes, <em>absolutely</em>. Of course you had to add a large and nice fire, their delicious hot chocolate made by his boyfriend, and of course said boyfriend snuggled against him. Roger couldn’t ask for more.</p><p>Well there was this old model of Aston Martin he’d really really <em>really </em>love to have, but honestly, right now, he didn’t need it – and he didn’t have the money for it anyway. He’d gladly spend the rest of their week-end being at one with the cushions.</p><p>“Right Deaky? ‘S perfect.” He repeated, turning his head to look at his boyfriend before laying his hand on his own.</p><p>Warmth had coloured John’s cheeks with a faint red tint, and his smile was positively adorable. “Yeah.”</p><p>Of course you could always place a cherry on top of perfection, and it took the shape of a soft, gentle kiss.</p><p> </p><p>**-***-**</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>Roger placed a few branches in the circle made of small rocks. “I’m making a fire. Rather I’m imagining a fire. I doubt Ziggy and Brick would appreciate.”</p><p>“Yeah, I didn’t make him such a great hat only for it to melt in no time.” John commented as he adjusted the snow pompom on his snowman’s beanie. “…But, Roger?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Why a fire? You know fire’s really bad for snowmen.” Even the tenacious ones from the Christmas themed slashers they watched last night didn’t survive it.</p><p>Roger stared at him for a seconds, then shrugged. “…I don’t know, it seemed nice? Two friends reunited around a fire. But yeah you’re right, now that you mention it looks a bit like a double suicide or something.” He then slightly hollowed out the lightning bolt that ran across his snowman's face, as best as he could with his thick gloves anyway. “…Ziggy and Brick, the star-crossed lovers.”</p><p>“Or imagine they become alive after being shaped with love, but their destruction by other mean humans infused them with uncontrollable hatred and they then come back to life for revenge.”</p><p>“And it was up to the teens who built them in the first place to stop them.” Roger continued with a smile.</p><p>“In the first two movies anyway. But you know, <em>Cold Fury of the Snowmen</em>: <em>The third cold snap</em> isn’t as good as <em>Cold Fury of the Snowmen</em> and<em> Cold Fury of the Snowmen: Revenge is a dish best served icy. </em>At least in my opinion.”</p><p>“I don’t know, I think the kills were great! But yeah, the two new teens were annoying as hell. Anyway, Ziggy, if you ever come to life please don’t try to murder us.”</p><p> </p><p>**-***-**</p><p> </p><p>“Bloody hell I’m freezing!”</p><p>Roger was by the fireplace, filling the firebox with logs before John had the time to see him take off his boots. He wasn’t as sensitive to the cold as his boyfriend but the perspective of relaxing in front of a nice, warm fire with a hot mug of chocolate in his hands was very tempting after their long stroll outside in the surrounding woods.</p><p>A few minutes and a nice fire later, they were snuggling like cats, another plaid around their shoulders. A warm perfect little nest of love. John’s presence was what made it all better of course, but the quiet, relaxing sound coming from the fire crackling behind them, was such a simple yet wonderful touch.</p><p>“’S much better now.”</p><p>“No freezing anymore?”</p><p>“I’d have to be dead to be cold with the fire, you and the plaids around me.” Roger said with a beautiful smile.</p><p>“Good. Just in case I’ll continue to make sure you aren’t cold.” John added before kissing his cheek and laying a hand on his stomach.</p><p> </p><p>**-***-**</p><p> </p><p>“Merry Christmas.”</p><p>Roger’s smile was radiant as he handed him two colourful and impeccably wrapped gifts, whom specific vinyl disk shape and five-hundred pages novel weight let few doubts about their content. The 25<sup> th </sup>was tomorrow, but John didn’t give a damn. He couldn’t wait to give his boyfriend his own gift too.</p><p>“They’re perfectly wrapped up.” He noted with a smile as he torn up the wrapping paper under Roger’s impatient eyes.</p><p>“Mum helped me.”</p><p>A familiar crimson cover with large, colourful letters greeted him and his smile grew larger. “<em>Red Velvet’s Greatest Hits. </em>The only disc I didn’t have from them.”</p><p>“A fine addition to your collection.” Roger winked. “But you’ll never guess the second gift.”</p><p>He weighted up the gift again, and had no doubt it was a book. “I think it’s a… sweater.”</p><p>Still a large smile on his face, Roger stayed silent as John unwrapped the second gift. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t a piece of clothing. What seemed to be a thick novel was in fact three shorter novels, each with a familiar science-fiction imagery and bright, green letters for the title.</p><p>“I found the novelisation of the first three <em>Alien</em> films the other day, and I thought you’d like to read them. They’re not exactly recent, but…”</p><p>“As long as they don’t come with an actual alien.” He placed the books on the coffee table and shared a quick kiss with his boyfriend. “Thank you lots.”</p><p>Roger’s pretty blue eyes sparkled with excitement and curiosity as he gave him his own gift. Only one, but what a gift! A finely crafted bodywork in a gorgeous bright red colour, cream-coloured seats and an interior reproduced to the finest detail. On the side of the car’s base was written in fine letters “Aston Martin DB4 Convertible, 1961”.</p><p>John was glowing brighter than the fire besides them. Roger was speechless, holding the scale model as if it was the most precious thing in the world.</p><p>“Merry Christmas. Now you can really say you have an Aston Martin-”</p><p>Two hands held his face and he got engulfed in a series of short but nonetheless passionate kisses.</p><p> </p><p>**-***-**</p><p> </p><p>A content sigh escaped Roger. Truly he could spend all their in-doors time on this rug. Too bad they had to get up to cook or go to the loo.</p><p>He’d really have to thank aunt Lucy again. He’d had to drive hours through the countryside to get there, with “this is a surprise” as the only clue to their destination while he was dying to tell his boyfriend everything, but his smile and the sparkle in his eyes when they arrived at the cabin had been worth keeping the secret.</p><p>“Roger?”</p><p>He opened his eyes, and smiled further as he met his boyfriend’s green-grey look. “What?”</p><p>A pretty little smile grew on his face. “I’m thinking about some stuff.”</p><p>Ah, that smile. John’s smiles had this ability of hiding the true nature of his thoughts, unlike his own.</p><p>...Ooooooh- Now that he mentioned it, they hadn’t done <em>everything</em> yet by the fire…</p><p>“What are you thinking about?”</p><p>Roger tried to keep an innocent tone, but when sexy thoughts invaded his mind, he could rarely keep it a secret. John continued to gaze at him in silence, and slowly, his fingertips ran along the side of his cheek, until his thumb stopped at the corner of his lips.</p><p>“…Your mouth around me.” He murmured in a sultry voice.</p><p>Roger smiled further, and gave his thumb a slow lick. As long as they clean afterwards aunt Lucy wouldn’t be mad if they “christened” the fireplace, right?</p><p> </p><p>**-***-**</p><p> </p><p>Right now, his head was resting in John’s lap, on a pillow, with a warm plaid up to his feet and John’s fingers gently threading his hair. Was it heaven? If not, it was sure damn close.</p><p>“Your photos are really nice.”</p><p>Roger forced himself to open his eyes and look at the photos sprawled before his boyfriend’s crossed legs. His Polaroid might be old compared to John’s camera, but wasn’t it nice to be able to immediately hold in hand their little collection of memories?</p><p>“You’re on all of them, of course they’re nice.”</p><p>John snorted, and caressed his cheek before drawing slow circles into the mass of his hair. Roger couldn’t choose a favourite photo: the two of them making snow angels outside the cabin, faces reddened by the cold, John mixing pancake batter with utmost concentration, John peacefully asleep in their double bed with the thick blanket up to his chin, the two of them cuddling in front of the fire. They were all great!</p><p>A harsh gush of wind caught his attention. Strong snowfalls had been broadcasted for tonight, but of course it wasn’t a problem with their warm nest of love.</p><p>“…’Can’t believe we’re already leaving tomorrow. I liked it here.”</p><p>Roger turned and looked at his boyfriend, and didn’t miss the jot of sadness in his eyes. These two days and a half had fled by. He also would’ve gladly spent a week more in this cabin, but all good things had an end, he supposed. But their holidays weren’t over! And their little nest of love would simply have to move with them.</p><p>Gently, he scratched John’s chin, and gave him a big smile as his boyfriend turned back his attention to him. “It’s too bad we have to leave, but we’ll have other moments.”</p><p>A little smile grew on his quiet face, and he bopped the tip of his nose. “It’s true. The fireplace was really nice though.”</p><p>“True. But… ‘s alright. We’ll just have to find other ways to stay warmed up.”</p><p>He wiggled his eyebrows, and John’s little laugh was the cutest sound in the world.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed it :)   Don't hesitate to leave kudos and a comment, they're always appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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